Chapter 199: No Wolf? Nox’s Soul Contract

Ugo was speechless at how shameless Axe’s narcissism was.

He completely ignored the man, setting up a tea table to relax a bit while waiting for Moon.

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Inside the room, Moon sat on the bed, and Nox sat beside him.

Moon took out the scroll.

It floated between them, glowing with a faint golden light.

Then he looked at Nox.

"Don’t overthink it. This is a soul contract, not your wolf awakening ceremony."

"Hmm."

Nox nodded slightly, straightened his back, and sat rigidly.

Moon frowned.

"Relax. Why are you so stiff?"

"I’m relaxed!" Nox grumbled.

Moon didn’t waste any more time. He closed his eyes and drew out a drop of his heart’s blood.

As the blood essence touched the contract scroll, it shone with a radiant golden glimmer.

Nox followed his example and drew out his own blood essence. The two drops mixed and merged with the scroll.

Golden markings appeared across its surface as the scroll slowly began to roll up, the contract gradually taking shape.

Moon felt a tug in his soul and smiled faintly.

But soon, his smile vanished.

A sense of restlessness and melancholy crept over him.

He looked at the man sitting perfectly still in front of him. Nox appeared calm, but Moon knew these feelings weren’t his own.

His temples began to throb, and sweat gathered on both their foreheads.

’Goddess! Your Child is making this so difficult!’ Moon sent a voice transmission to the Moon Goddess.

[He needs to hold himself together, or the contract will fail.]

’I know! How am I supposed to make him relax? I’ve already coaxed him my entire life!’ Moon replied exasperatedly.

[You are generous.]

’Just that? I need help! Aren’t they your children? Make his heart as hard as iron!’

[...]

[I can’t do that. Everyone has their own heart. It cannot simply be changed.]

Moon wanted to curse, but he couldn’t bring himself to curse at a goddess.

Instead, he concentrated on sending his soul power into the scroll.

The scroll continued to roll up.

Then, just as it reached halfway, it stopped again.

Moon opened his eyes and looked directly at Nox.

Nox wasn’t closing his eyes anymore.

His amber eyes were open, his gaze cold, though his eyelashes trembled.

"Mooney..."

"Nox! I told you not to overthink it!" Moon nearly shouted.

"My wolf..." Nox’s voice trembled. "It’s not there. I can’t feel anything."

"Heavens! Nox, no one has felt their wolf at this point. Just let the contract seal!"

"I’m trying."

Nox’s voice grew quieter, and the scroll trembled along with it.

Moon stared at the scroll in disbelief.

"I don’t want your wolf! I want the contract!" he said coldly.

Nox looked at him and fell silent. Slowly, he reached for Moon’s hand, held it, and interlocked their fingers, meeting his eyes.

"Will you leave me?"

"..."

’Is this the time to think about that?’ Moon almost screamed internally.

"No. And don’t think that kind of nonsense, Nox. I’m telling you, if the scroll fails, I’ll die along with it!"

Nox’s soul trembled, and so did the scroll.

His eyes widened slightly, and his fingers tightened around Moon’s hand.

But the threat worked.

Nox forced himself to calm down.

The scroll began to roll again, its markings glowing as the inscriptions binding them slowly took shape.

Moon guided his soul power into the scroll, trying to seal the contract as quickly as possible.

Just as he thought it would be completed in another moment, Nox cried out.

"Why? Why isn’t there any response?"

"Fuck, Nox!"

Moon cursed and suddenly yanked his hand away, pushing Nox down onto the bed.

Nox was so startled that his mind went blank.

Then a pair of soft, hot lips pressed against his.

Moon kissed him hard, parting his lips and slipping his tongue inside.

The scroll trembled violently above them.

But Nox no longer had time to think about his wolf.

A sharp pain struck his soul before quickly subsiding. His thoughts slowly became like ripples on a pond, then melted away into Moon’s kiss.

He instinctively grabbed Moon’s head and kissed him back.

Above them, the scroll gave a final hum.

It rolled up completely, sealing the contract before dispersing into golden light and scattering the lines that had connected them.

As the bond sealed, both of them let out a soft whimper.

A tear slipped from Nox’s eye.

Moon didn’t let him go. He could feel the trembling of the man beneath him.

Nox must be crying now.

There was no sign of a wolf.

No pressure, no phantom.

Even after the scroll had sealed, everything around them remained perfectly still.

Nox tightened his arms around Moon’s waist and the back of his head. He deepened the kiss and murmured between their breaths.

"Don’t leave me, Moon."

"I won’t," Moon whispered.

He wasn’t saying it because of the contract or because he needed the brothers.

For the first time, he simply felt that he wouldn’t leave.

A thin thread of affection welled up inside him.

He felt upset for Nox.

Moon knew Nox had a wolf.

His task was to awaken them, and no one was more certain than he was that all five brothers possessed wolf spirits more powerful than any ordinary wolf.

There was no way Nox didn’t have one.

But he still couldn’t understand why it wasn’t responding.

His arms tightened around Nox, and they tangled together on the bed.

Their souls were filled with such deep melancholy that, without realizing it, they slowly lost consciousness.

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Soon, Moon began to feel suffocated.

His lungs burned, and he couldn’t breathe.

He raised a hand, desperately trying to draw in air, but nothing came.

His eyes snapped open.

Dark brown surrounded him.

Grayish-brown earth pressed against him from every direction.

Above, below, left, and right, everything was blocked. There was nowhere to move.

Moon tried to force his way out, but he couldn’t.

"Mom!"

He cried out, then froze.

That wasn’t his voice.

It was a child’s voice, sweet and clear, now trembling with fear.

"Mom!" he cried again.

Footsteps approached from somewhere above his head.